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Saturday, February 26, 2011

According to the latest news received by the International Committees against Stoning and Execution, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s judiciary has sentenced Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani's lawyer, Mr. Kian, to four consecutive death sentences! Three of these have been revoked, but the fourth, which is to be execution by the method of hanging, is to be carried out. Mr. Kian has been told that his sentence will be implemented imminently.

Mr. Kian was arrested on October 10, 2010, along with two German reporters and Mrs. Ashtiani’s son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh. He was first imprisoned in Tabriz, Iran and was later moved to section 209 of the infamous Evin Prison in Tehran, Iran. Our latest news from Mr. Kian is that he has been under prolonged and severe torture, and that his body is covered with bruises and cigarette burns. He has been transferred to the prison in Tabriz, Iran where they are planning his execution.

Mr. Kian’s mother, who resides in America, is currently in Iran to help release her son; however, she has been forbidden to talk to reporters and she is not allowed to leave Iran. Her husband, Houtan's father, was executed by the Islamic Republic regime in 1981.

In a recent statement issued after the release of the two German reporters, the Islamic Republic has declared guilty and upheld the sentence for the fourth detainee, Mr. Kian.

Mr. Kian is a lawyer. He represents all political prisoners who are on death row in Iran. And his most famous client is Sakineh Ashtiani.

We ask all human rights organization, at both local and international levels, as well as all groups and individuals who have been active in advocating for Sakineh’s release, to urgently call upon the Iranian regime to immediately release both Houtan Kian and Sakineh Ashtiani.

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the execution capital of the world. Already in 2011, it has executed at least 86 people after unfair trials and forced confessions under torture - three times last year's rate. It is the worst rise in executions since the regime's massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.

There has been one execution every 8 hours and at least 8 of those executed have been political prisoners. Some of those killed by the state include: Zahra Bahrami, 45 year old Dutch/Iranian national who was arrested during protests last year, Ali Ghorabat for apostasy and Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaie for enmity against god. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani still faces execution.

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate end to this state-sponsored murder that aims to intimidate the protest movement in Iran and call on the United Nations and governments to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran for an immediate and unconditional halt to executions. A regime that slaughters its citizens must face diplomatic isolation.

For 21 months now we have been mobilising international support and solidarity with the people in Iran in their struggle against the Islamic regime. Thanks to you, we have been successful in keeping the struggle in people’s hearts and minds. Our work more important than ever given that the protests in Iran are continuing and so is the brutal repression, including a massive wave of executions – at least 86 since the start of this year alone.

And just now, we have heard that the Islamic regime’s Supreme Court has upheld Sakineh Ashtiani’s execution sentence. Upon hearing the news, a desperate Sakineh attempted suicide but survived. We have also received reports that her lawyer, Houtan Kian, who was arrested during an interview with her son and two German journalists some months ago, has been sentenced to death (though the two journalists have returned home).

The killing is going to continue – unless we stop it. And we can. International attention and solidarity works. We need everyone on board to stop this tsunami of executions. Please see below our letter demanding an immediate end to executions in Iran, which has already been signed by Campaigner Mina Ahadi, Scientist Richard Dawkins, Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto, and Author Salman Rushdie. Please add your name to it too.

Our work inside and outside of Iran must continue. We are co-sponsoring a conference to mark International Women’s Day in London and are inviting you to come and join us on Saturday 12 March to highlight the impact of religion on women’s rights, secularism and the law and the need for solidarity with people struggling against it. You can find out more about it below.

As the new Spokesperson for Iran Solidarity, I’d like to ask you to keep the pressure on. Join us to create a storm of solidarity that cannot be ignored. We can and must stop the executions now.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the execution capital of the world. Already in 2011, it has executed at least 86 people after unfair trials and forced confessions under torture - three times last year's rate. It is the worst rise in executions since the regime's massacre of political prisoners in the summer of 1988.

There has been one execution every 8 hours and at least 8 of those executed have been political prisoners. Some of those killed by the state include: Zahra Bahrami, 45 year old Dutch/Iranian national who was arrested during protests last year, Ali Ghorabat for apostasy and Jafar Kazemi and Mohammad Ali Haj Aghaie for enmity against god. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani still faces execution.

We, the undersigned, demand an immediate end to this state-sponsored murder that aims to intimidate the protest movement in Iran and call on the United Nations and governments to exert pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran for an immediate and unconditional halt to executions. A regime that slaughters its citizens must face diplomatic isolation.

2. Join us at a the International Conference on Women’s Rights, Sharia Law and Secularism, which will be held at the University of London Union, The Venue, Malet Street, London WC1E, on 12 March from 1000-1900 (Registration begins at 10am for a 1030am start). For information and to register click here.

4. Get in touch and join us! Contact Patty Debonitas, iransolidaritynow@gmail.com, Tel: +44 (0) 7507978745
Or visit our site where you will also find contact details of our international branches. Patty Debonitas has taken over the role of Spokesperson from founder and previous Spokesperson Maryam Namazie.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Maryam Namazie was the keynote speaker at the Amnesty International Regional Conference held on 19 February 2011 in Salisbury, UK. She spoke on Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Stoning and Sharia Law to a crowd of over 100. Kate Allen, the AI UK’s director and long-time activists were present at the day-long conference.

Participants made a quilt for Sakineh and vowed to continue campaigning for her release.

The Islamic-nationalist militia government of Iraq is terrified of the fate of the ruling regimes of Egypt and Tunisia!

According to the news, the Maliki government has begun to fire on demonstrators in Al khadraa area, killing and wounding 13 people and also attacked the demonstrators viciously. It is worth mentioning that the demonstrations in Iraq are rapidly expanding in all cities, from the north to south. The angry protesters took to the streets of Basra, Nasiriyah, Diwaniyah, Amarah, Baghdad, Kirkuk and other cities, with a media blackout on the protests which constantly grow. Young people, workers and their organizations are the major elements of demonstrations. They raised slogans and demands of economic and political nature including unemployment benefits and jobs, electricity, food ration increase, and to prosecute corrupt officials, the release of political prisoners, and for wide political and civil liberties. The movement continues in an increasing strength and intensity.

The protesting movement in Iraq is not something new. The demonstrations for electricity and clean water have spread out in the majority of cities in Iraq when people attacked the government offices last year. But the demonstrations occur today within the revolutionary atmosphere prevailing in the region, where dictatorial governments are falling one after the other. The movement in Iraq is getting stronger as a direct impact of the revolutionary movement in the region and people in Iraq are corresponding to the masses of the region. People in Iraq are using every available possibility to impose their dominance on the streets in order to sweep away the Islamic and nationalistic government and remove it altogether.
The people of Iraq are facing a government mired in conflicts over quotas, gains, and lootings, while utterly incapable to provide any services or assurances of security and protection of the citizens from murderers and terrorists. On the contrary, this government holds back political and civil rights such as the right of assembly, organization, and demonstration under the pretext of anti-terrorism law and other tyrannical regulations in order to deprive them of their freedoms. Under these laws, they are attacking people and shooting at them, killing, injuring, beating, humiliating, arresting and torturing them.

We strongly condemn the vicious campaign against the demonstrators by the Islamic-nationalist militia government of Nuri al-Maliki which is incompetent to answer any of the problems facing the people of Iraq. We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all those who ordered and carried out the shooting at the people. We express our solidarity with those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedom and well-being and human dignity and we support their goals.

We call upon the people to step up their struggles and to continue their demonstrations and not to succumb to any threat or intimidation. The revolutions of Egypt and Tunisia have just opened the road wide ahead of us and proven to all those "wise-men committees" and repressive regimes, along with the Iraqi militia government, that the power of the masses is greater than all of their police, special units, anti-riot troops, gangs, militias, and all their murderers, and that those revolutions have struck the doors wide open for the struggles for freedom and equality and to achieve a free, equal, humane, and prosperous world.

Victory for the struggle of the people of Iraq!

Shame on the forces of Islamic and nationalist militia government!
Long live freedom and equality!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Thank you so much to those of you who sent in donations following our December appeal for One Law for All. We managed to raise £2,700 and now have ten 100Club donors supporting us every month.

With the money we’ve raised we are sending out letters to all Members of Parliament (including Peers) calling for an amendment to the Arbitration Act in order to stop Sharia courts from dealing with civil, family, and criminal matters and violating civil rights. We shall also be holding a debate in the Houses of Parliament to highlight the issues and gain support amongst MPs. In our next letter we shall be asking you for help in contacting your MP in order to secure support for our campaign and give you further information on the meeting in Parliament.

In the meantime, we have organised an International Conference on Women’s Rights, Sharia Law and Secularism on 12 March at the University of London Union from 10.00-19.00. The one-day conference marking International Women’s Day will discuss religion’s impact on women’s rights; religion and secularism and religion and the law. Speakers include Philosopher A.C. Grayling, Honorary Speaker of the Belgian Senate Anne-Marie Lizin; National Secular Society Vice President Elizabeth O'Casey; and women’s rights campaigner Yasmin Rehman. There will also be a showing of Ghazi Rabihavi’s play, Stoning, which Harold Pinter has described as ‘a very strong and powerful piece of work, beautifully constructed.’ You can find out more about the conference and booking a space via our website. You may register on the day at the door but it would help us if you could pre-register.

Other recent activities that may be of interest to you are: a letter we have written to the Prime Minister; a Seminar entitled Enemies not Allies that was recently held in January (a report is forthcoming); a press release exposing the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal as liars after our correspondence with the Director of Public Prosecutions; and finally, a statement on the Channel 4 Dispatches: Lessons in Hate and Violence as well as on solicitors offering Sharia advice. Links to all of these can be found in the notes below.

I want to personally thank you again for your donations and/or support. Please do continue to support our work - every penny does make a real difference to us. And nothing we do would be possible were it not for your help.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you at our 12 March event.

2. Our International Conference on Women’s Rights, Sharia Law and Secularism will be held at the University of London Union, The Venue, Malet Street, London WC1E, on 12 March from 1000-1900 (Registration begins at 10am for a 1030am start). The one day conference marking International Women’s Day will discuss Religion’s Impact on Women’s Rights; Religion and Secularism and Religion and the Law. Philosopher AC Grayling will give the keynote address. Speakers include: Helle Merete Brix (Journalist); Patty Debonitas (Iran Solidarity); Nadia Geerts (Rappel); Maria Hagberg (Network against Honour-related Violence); Anne-Marie Lizin (Honorary Speaker of Belgian Senate); Maryam Namazie (One Law for All and Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain); Elizabeth O'Casey (National Secular Society); Yasmin Rehman (Women’s Rights Activist); Gita Sahgal (Women’s Rights Campaigner); Nina Sankari (European Feminist Initiative Poland); Sohaila Sharifi (Equal Rights Now); Annie Sugier (la ligue du Droit International des Femmes); Michele Vianes (Regard des Femmes); Anne Marie Waters (one Law for All); and others. There will also be a showing of Ghazi Rabihavi’s play Stoning. Entry fee: £10 individuals; £3 unwaged and students. To register, click here.

3. To donate to the crucial work of One Law for All, please either send a cheque made payable to One Law for All to BM Box 2387, London WC1N 3XX, UK or pay via Paypal.

We need regular support that we can rely on and are asking for supporters to commit to giving at least £5-10 a month via direct debit. You can find out more about how to join the 100 Club here.

4. The One Law for All Campaign was launched on 10 December 2008, International Human Rights Day, to call on the UK Government to recognise that Sharia and religious courts are arbitrary and discriminatory against women and children in particular and that citizenship and human rights are non-negotiable. To join the campaign, sign our petition here. The petition has already been signed by over 27000 individuals and organisations.

A Lancashire firm of solicitors, which has launched a new Family Law service offering clients UK civil legal representation alongside advice on Sharia law, has been attacked by campaigners who say Sharia law abuses the human rights of women.

Emmetts solicitors, with offices in Preston and Longridge, is introducing the new service for Muslim clients who want advice on matters such as divorce or child custody according to both UK civil law and Sharia Law.

The Family Law service will be delivered by trainee solicitor Farah Razaq and paralegal Sidra Ghani. Farah Razaq told Asian Image magazine: "The new service will focus upon divorce in accordance with Sharia Law. Any male or female Muslim who needs a divorce in accordance to Sharia law can come to us and we're here to provide services for them. If a Muslim is married in the UK, then a divorce may require civil proceedings as well as a Sharia divorce. And we deal with both matters."

But Maryam Namazie, leader of the One Law for All campaign reacted furiously to the news, saying: "It is scandalous that lawyers meant to defend rights are now set on violating them by recognising and pandering to sharia law decisions on women.

"Under Sharia, a woman's testimony is worth half that of a man's, men can unilaterally divorce by uttering a certain phrase thrice whilst it is often difficult for women to secure divorces. Marital rape is not considered a crime and violence against a disobedient wife a husband's prerogative. With regard to child custody – under UK civil law, the welfare of the child is paramount, whilst under sharia child custody goes to the father at a preset age irrespective of the child's welfare. Sharia law and UK civil law (however imperfect) are antithetical to each other so how can both be applied? In an ideal world, lawyers applying Sharia law would be disbarred. After all, the same would happen to doctors who hurt rather than helped their patients."

In launching the new service, Emmetts say they will also draw on their experience in dealing with the consequences of arranged marriages which result in separation.

Sidra Ghani added: "We're also offering services for those clients who have unfortunately been involved in forced marriages, either here or abroad. We're very passionate about the new service. We will be dealing with very sensitive matters and real people. There aren't many solicitors who deal with this service overseeing both sharia law as well as civil proceedings. We feel that this will be an important consideration for Muslim clients when choosing a law firm that deals with family law legal advice."

Lawyer Anne Marie Waters, a spokesperson for the One Law for All campaign, commented: "As Solicitors, Emmetts should be fully aware that sharia law fails the human rights test quite spectacularly. Rather than promoting and encouraging the use of sharia, solicitors should remain true to their vow to uphold the law and to act in the best interests of their clients – including their female clients."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Channel 4’s Dispatches: Lessons in Hate and Violence on Islamic schools in Britain confirms the urgency of addressing the question of faith schools. Whilst the teachings of hatred in these schools are not surprising, it is nothing short of scandalous that vulnerable children are left to the mercy of Islamists despite years of evidence of abuse and violations of child safety and protection rules.

Religion in general, and Islam more so because of the rise of Islamism, will indoctrinate children – often violently. What is being taught at the schools profiled in the programme is what some of our members have been taught in Islamic schools in Britain and elsewhere. Religious schools by nature must teach the superiority of their belief system and the baseness of non-believers and kafirs. The teachings exposed on the programme show a deep-seated hatred not just for non-Muslims but Muslims and ex-Muslims who do not conform to Islamist standards. For too long, however, these schools have been allowed to carry on business as usual by feigning to distance themselves from those who have been exposed and by giving lip service to social harmony and cohesion.

Rather than being unusual, as the Muslim Council of Britain asserts, such teachings are very much the norm: half the Islamic schools in Britain are from the same Deobandi persuasion as one of the schools profiled. Like Sharia law courts, where women in particular are routinely denied equal rights, Islamic schools routinely deny children’s rights. Rather than promote social harmony and cohesion, they segregate and divide. Rather than being anti-racist, they are a profoundly racist phenomenon, making sub-standard schools for ‘different’ children permissible.

Despite mountains of evidence, the government continues to promote and fund free schools, whilst hypocritically denouncing multiculturalism. Also, the likes of John Hemming, the Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, are more concerned with hate mail received by the school, rather than the safety of the children attending these schools.

This is precisely what is wrong with multiculturalism. It gives precedence to cultures and religion rather than vulnerable children, cowering from their teachers, and being routinely beaten, abused and indoctrinated to hate each other, their friends and the world outside. And it says that human beings – depending on how they are pigeon-holed - are fundamentally different, and should be treated as such. This identity politics and its privileging of difference is what lead to extremism – whether it be the far-Right Islamist or English Defence League versions.

Unfortunately, the debate on faith schools has for too long focused on scrutiny, monitoring, (one of the schools profiled had been commended for its interfaith teaching), and changing admission codes and employment practices rather than that they are fundamentally bad for our children. This is because they are more concerned with the inclusion of religion – the religion of the child's parents – than the inclusion, wellbeing and educational needs of the child.

How the government will be able to stand by once again, after witnessing the heartbreaking acts of violence against children as young as five years old, is yet to be seen. Given that only one person has been arrested and no schools shut down, it seems that once again it will be giving precedence to religion over the needs, welfare and rights of children.

Let’s be clear. Schools and faith are antithetical to each other. Education is meant to give children access to science, reason and the advances of the 21st century. It is meant to level the playing field irrespective of and despite the family the child is born into. It is meant to allow children to think freely and critically – something that religion actually prohibits and punishes.

Education can only truly be guaranteed by a secular educational system and by ending faith schools once and for all.

Notes:

For more detail, comment or information, contact:
Maryam Namazie
Spokesperson
One Law for All
Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain
Tel: +44 (0) 7719166731
onelawforall@gmail.com
ex-muslimcouncil@gmail.com
www.onelawforall.org.uk
www.ex-muslim.org.uk

I sobbed watching Dispatches: Lessons in Hate and Violence on Islamic faith schools here in Britain.

I sobbed not for the hate speech and bigotry - which as a ‘kafir’ I am used to – but for the forgotten and vulnerable children beaten and humiliated day in and day out.

The five year old boy hit by the teacher could have been my son or yours... Sweet children left to the mercy of Islamism and violence by a state that shrugs its responsibilities towards the most vulnerable.

I say shut all faith schools down now.

It's simple really. It’s just a question of choice.

I choose children’s rights over religion and Islamism. What will you choose?

Monday, February 14, 2011

On Tuesday 15 February Maryam Namazie will be speaking at a 1500 hours press conference and 18:30 meeting at the European Parliament on the rising executions in Iran at Avenue du President Robert Schuman, 67000 Strasbourg.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

With the stepping down of Hosni Mubarak under the crushing pressure of the revolution, people of Egypt have achieved their first goal. A dictator, who for nearly thirty years had made life hell for people in a country run on the model of market economy capitalism with the full political and military backing of the USA and other western governments, was forced to resign. Eighteen days of people’s massive protests in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and other cities, their smart and brave confrontation with all the regime’s vicious ploys, and the workers’ massive strikes finally brought Mubarak to his knees and forced him to flee.

This is an important step, but only one step, in the progress of the revolution. People want the complete smashing of the corrupt and repressive regime. Their fight against Mubarak is in fact a fight against a system for which Mubarak was a leader and an icon. The revolution has smashed this icon, but the system is still in place. Following Mubarak’s resignation, it was announced that power has been transferred to the Supreme Council of the Army led by the Defence Minister. It was claimed that this handover is a move towards a “transition to democracy”. However, this is in fact the process of transition to the next dictator! This is the ploy of the reactionary and counter-revolutionary forces to send people home. The counter-revolution, from the western governments to the army and all those awaiting negotiations and compromise, gave up Mubarak under the pressure of the revolution so as to save the whole system. The revolution can and must thwart this ploy too.

The dictators of our age are the necessary products of a political and economic system which protects the interests of a ruling capitalist minority at the expense of the poverty and the denial of rights of the great majority of the people. The revolution should target the entirety of this system and sweep it out of the way. The Egyptian revolution, with its slogan “Bread, freedom, human dignity”, is moving in this direction. Now that it has won the first victory, it must clearly put on its agenda the next goal and the practical steps for its realisation. The revolution must declare that Mubarak and the leaders of his regime must be tried for 30 years of crime and plunder. It must declare that none of the state or military leaders should be in a position of power in the name of “council”, “provisional government” or any other form, with the excuse that this is a period of transition. Their place is in courts, to stand trial, not at the head of state power. People should call for the immediate release of political prisoners, for freedom of the press, organisation, assembly, protest and strike and for the immediate dissolution of the security and intelligence forces. Real transition to freedom is through the immediate realisation of these demands; demands which can only be won, just as Mubarak was pulled down, with the power of protest and struggle of the people, with the power of the street. Mubarak was pushed out, but the revolution can and must go on with ever greater power and determination until the complete smashing of the entire system.

Greetings to the revolutionary people of Egypt! Long live the revolution!

Thursday, February 03, 2011

On 26 January 2011 One Law for All held an important seminar to expose ‘Enemies, not Allies,’ which focused upon the far-Right and pro-Islamist Left groups.

According to One Law for All’s Spokesperson, Maryam Namazie, 'standing up against Sharia law and Islamism is crucial in this day and age but how and why it's done is important too. It has to be done to protect humanity, secularism and universal rights for it to bring about change for the better. Groups like the English Defence League and Stop Islamisation of Europe are using real concern about Sharia law in order to promote their racist and anti-immigrant agenda. Like the Islamists, they blame everyone who they consider Muslim for the crimes of Islamism. Pro-Islamist Left groups like Stop the War Coalition, United Against Fascism and Respect Party are no better. They excuse and justify Islamism at the expenses of the lives, rights and freedoms of innumerable people.'